Wesley Plaisier meets German Grand Slam revelation at World Darts Championship: "Great draw. I could have had the two Lukes as well"

Wesley Plaisier is set to make his second appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship. The Dutchman, who began the season with a clear mission, can now look back on the year with satisfaction after securing his spot at the tournament. Speaking to Viaplay in a video interview, Plaisier remained measured in his reaction to both his qualification and his first-round draw.

“At the start of the year, my goal was to qualify for the Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship, and I managed to achieve that,” Plaisier said. “The start of the year was a bit difficult, but luckily I made it through.”

In the opening round, he will face Germany’s Lukas Wenig, who impressed at the Grand Slam of Darts by reaching the quarter-finals. Both Plaisier and the Viaplay studio panel were positive about Wenig’s performance. “We’ve seen him play. He was very strong at times, though there were some quieter moments as well,” they noted.

Plaisier had clearly been keeping an eye on his opponent. “Yes, I saw that he made it to the quarter-finals. It’s not the easiest draw, of course, but it could have been worse. I have little to complain about,” he said.

When the hosts joked that Wenig “has little chance against him,” Plaisier stayed modest but confident. “No, we don’t want to say that. But it’s a good draw. Of course, it could have been much tougher—I could have ended up with one of the two Lukes or a seeded player. So I’m definitely not dissatisfied.”

Asked about his preparation for the PDC World Darts Championship, Plaisier was clear. “Training, playing tournaments, competition, maybe Super League. And perhaps a few more sessions with Raymond [van Barneveld].”

With his goals achieved, a manageable first-round draw, and a clear training plan, Wesley Plaisier heads to Alexandra Palace full of confidence.